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#161 Pelvis Side Bend in the Golf Swing โณ๏ธ
Description
The Podcast describes Pelvis Side Bend in the golf swing, as measured by the SportsBox 3D Golf App ๐. A PGA professional explains the movement using a diagram and data from tour professionals:
โก๏ธ The tilt shifts between the lead hip and trail hip during the swing, reaching a maximum of about 10 degrees.
โก๏ธ Data shows a slight tilt toward the trail side at address and a similar tilt toward the lead side at maximum rotation.
โก๏ธ The professional emphasizes the importance of controlled pelvic movement for an effective golf swing.
What is Pelvis Side Bend? ๐ค
Pelvis Side Bend (also called lateral pelvic tilt) is the tilt of the pelvis along an axis that runs front to back through the pelvis, between the left and right hip joints. This axis moves with the pelvis as it rotates.
โก๏ธ Think of it as the tilt of a line between the hip joints relative to a horizontal plane.
Pelvic Tilt Throughout the Golf Swing ๐๏ธโโ๏ธ
Pelvic Side Bend can be visualized as a curve that represents the entire swingโfrom address position to the top of the backswing, impact, and finish. The vertical axis shows which side the pelvis is tilted toward:
Trail hip (back side) ๐๏ธโโ๏ธโฌ ๏ธ
Lead hip (front side) ๐๏ธโโ๏ธโก๏ธ
๐ Key Movements in the Swing:
โ Backswing: The lead hip lowers โฌ๏ธ
โ Downswing: The trail hip lowers โฌ๏ธ
โ Impact: Just after impact, the tilt is at its strongest ๐
โ Follow-through: The tilt levels out ๐
This motion resembles a sine wave, with a tilt of approximately 10 degrees to each side.
Pelvic Tilt Data ๐
๐น Address Position: Pelvis is tilted slightly toward the trail side, about 1 degree
๐น Top of Backswing: ~9 degrees tilt toward the lead side
๐น Impact: ~9 degrees tilt toward the lead side
๐น Follow-through: The maximum tilt of ~11 degrees occurs in this phase before leveling out
๐น Finish: ~2 degrees tilt for men, ~5 degrees tilt for women
Why is Pelvis Side Bend Important? ๐ฏ
โ It supports pelvic rotation for an efficient swing
โ The pelvis shouldnโt flatten too much
โ An optimal tilt of around 10 degrees to each side is desirable for a powerful and controlled swing
๐๏ธโโ๏ธ Mastering pelvic movement can improve swing efficiency, consistency, and power! ๐ช